


Can't Make It Tonight

by coupleofdumbasses



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica References, Castiel Has a Cat, Castiel-centric, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Social Anxiety, Stargate SG-1 References, Texting, basically they're just sci-fi geeks in love, okay enough tags gurl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 18:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6294895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coupleofdumbasses/pseuds/coupleofdumbasses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel cancels plans because anxiety is a bitch, but he can always count on his boyfriend to make him feel better, even when he's not around.<br/>His cat, on the other hand, is definitely around, but she's also a little shit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Make It Tonight

**> > Can’t make it tonight. Anxiety issues. I’m deeply sorry, Dean. My apologies to Sam and the others.**

 

Castiel checks the time on his phone and exhales a shaky breath. Ten minutes to hit send. Not so bad. He’s done worse.

He’s still rocking back and forth on the edge of his small couch. Although he should feel better now that he’s officially staying home tonight, he can’t help but feel guilty for failing Dean.

He flinches when his phone vibrates in his hand, heart missing a beat as piano chords shatter the silence of his boxy apartment. Wide-eyed, he stares down at the screen in horror.

 

**Incoming call: Dean**

 

 _What?!_ Why would Dean try to call him? He knows better than that!

His fingers clenched around the phone, his heart pounding in his chest, Castiel doesn’t dare to move. He closes his eyes and lets the Battlestar Galactica tune fill his ears. His throat is dry but he still hums along, which always helps calm his nerves. Ignoring a call is easier with the right ringtone, and there’s something about the repetitive notes of _Kara Remembers_ that seems to work wonders on his phone phobia. Perks of dating a sci-fi geek—not that there are any downsides when you’re one yourself.

The music cuts short just as it started building up in intensity and that catches Castiel off guard. He opens his eyes and frowns at his phone in confusion for a second.

Of course. Dean hung up. He’s probably going to send a text any moment now. Good.

Even better, he’s sitting still now. The guilt didn’t magically go away, but at least his body relaxed a little.

If he isn’t surprised by the loud ping when his phone vibrates in his hand, a startled meow comes from the closet on his left. Castiel turns his head just as his cat jumps onto the floor, her black fur puffing up when a few pairs of boxers fall down in her wake. _Wonderful_ , he moans internally, that sneaky fluffball managed to sleep in his clothes again.

“I don’t suppose you’re planning on removing your hair off my clean underwear, do you?”

His cat, after making a show of stretching right next to the incriminating clothes, shoots him an unfazed look and starts grooming herself.

“Of course,” Castiel sighs, right when a second ping draws his attention back to his phone.

 

**< < Shit, sorry bout the call. That was stupid**

**< < What happened? I thought u were down for pizza & games night?**

 

The question makes him wince. He was sort of hoping they would leave it at that, but of course Dean deserves an explanation.

Castiel’s thumbs hover over the screen, his mind blank. How do you explain something you don’t understand yourself?

He’s still thinking of a proper answer when a third text arrives.

 

**< < I mean its totally ok if u dont come, no worries. But u know its gonna be just 5 of us right? I know u only met Jo once but i swear shes nice when she behaves**

 

Castiel runs a hand down his face. Jo isn’t the issue. He doesn’t know her that well but he likes her. Granted, she made quite the scary first impression with her knife throwing act when they met at Dean’s last birthday party. But after exchanging a few words the next morning he realized that underneath her tough sarcastic exterior she’s actually quite kind and he can see why she’s Dean’s oldest friend.

Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, he starts typing on his phone. It’s slow and frustrating because he keeps erasing words and rephrasing his answer. The few irritated growls he lets out make his cat stop on her way to her food bowl before she decides her stomach is more important than her human’s mood swings.

Finally, Castiel re-reads his long text.

 

**> > I’d love to see you all, Jo included. But I woke up this morning with this nagging dread in my chest and I can’t shake it off since. I’ve been conflicted about tonight all day because I know part of me will regret it if I don’t go, but beside breaking down in tears on my couch I can’t say it was very helpful. So I think I should just settle down for a quiet night and continue my Stargate rewatch.**

 

He hates it but presses send before he’s tempted to rephrase it all over again, and leans back with a sigh. Because he’s sitting so close to the edge, his head is tilted at an awkward angle against the back of the couch; it’s quite uncomfortable, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. He’s so lost in his thoughts he barely registers the loud chomping of his cat.

Poor Dean. He must feel so let down right now. He hasn’t seen his brother in months and he’s so excited to have him over for the weekend that a pizza & games night with Charlie and Jo was all he could talk about for the past two weeks. And now? Now Castiel “Family Disappointment” Novak is ruining his boyfriend’s plans because his stupid anxiety decided for some reason that today of all days he isn’t fit to interact with other humans.

Not that his presence is necessary for them to have a good time tonight. On the contrary, he’s a poor gamer so he’s quite expandable, if he’s being honest.

No, the problem is that now Dean is probably going to worry about him all night and he won’t have much fun. Castiel can practically hear his boyfriend from the other side of town right now, refraining himself from calling him again.

And here he was thinking he was getting better. One step forward, two steps back.

With a dejected sound, he watches his cat move away from her bowl. He calls her name and taps his lap so she would consider coming over and showering him with affection, but she’s lazily licking her chops without so much as a look in his direction.

Castiel, you pathetic slob.

This time, when his phone pings, he’s the one startled.

 

**< < Double chocolate chip ice cream on the menu?**

 

The laugh he lets out surprises him almost as much as the message itself. Dean knows him so well.

 

**> > Yes.**

 

**< < Ur night sounds nice. Want me to come over so we can curl up under that huge blanket of yours? ;) im sure the others wont mind if we both bail**

 

Castiel’s smile falls a little at that. Here it is. Dean, his selfless Dean, always ready to give up on what he wants most to run to those in distress.

 

**> > No, I want you to spend all the time you can with your brother, so you have fun, end of discussion. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine here. I’d rather stay alone anyway. Scout’s honor.**

 

Spotting a black tuft of fur on the arm of the couch, he quickly sends another text.

 

**> > Besides, Orange started shedding so I don’t think you should come to my place for a few weeks.**

 

**< < What, so soon? Damn. But my allergies thank u, mama bear. Alright i leave you some privacy with ur ice cream and colonel o neill then. Or dr jackson, i dont judge**

**> > You drool over blue-eyed sexy nerdy Daniel Jackson and you know it.**

**< < I neither confirm or deny anything. Have a good night u perv nerd. Text me if u need anything, k?**

**> > I won’t, but thank you Dean. Have a good night too, say hello to everyone for me. See you and Sam tomorrow?**

**< < You betcha. Love you angle**

**< < *angel. Dumb autocorrect**

 

Castiel is smiling fondly at his screen when his cat jumps on his lap, demanding to be petted right this instant. He types a quick answer as best as he can with an anus in his face, then tosses his phone aside.

Turning around on his lap while purring like an engine, Orange scrambles up his chest to lick his forehead and headbutt him with all the affection she’s capable of when she sets her mind to it. The smelly food on her breath doesn’t bother him, nor does the dark hair coming off when he strokes her. He just wipes his hands on the cushions and scratches under her chin as she curls up on his chest, eyes contentedly closed, paws kneading the air.

His position is getting more and more uncomfortable, he can’t reach his laptop on the coffee table, let alone his freezer. But that’s okay. Stargate and ice cream can wait a little. Right now, with fingers buried in soft fur and loud purrs reverberating through his body, Castiel feels way better than he did all day.

**Author's Note:**

> [Find me on tumblr!](http://coupleofdumbasses.tumblr.com/post/141333397757/cant-make-it-tonight)
> 
> All the awards to my friend [Nine](http://mynameisnine.tumblr.com), who went through the trouble of beta-reading this on mobile and called me out on my unhealthy obsession with commas and endless sentences (here you see a perfect specimen in its natural habitat).
> 
> One of the perks of having an OTP is that anything that happens to you can be turned into an AU somehow.  
> Also, any resemblance to real cats, living ~~or dead~~ , is definitely not coincidental.
> 
> And if you don't know _Kara Remembers_ , from the Battlestar Galactica OST, do yourself a favor and watch the whole show <3 Or, you know, if you don't have time for a 3-hour pilot and four seasons right now, you can start by listening to the track [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_IsptRrIak). Cas' ringtone (and mine) starts at 1'11.


End file.
